NY daily newspapers show circulation declines

Another reporting period, another down period for newspapers: Average Monday-through-Friday circulation fell 5% for the six months ended Sept. 30, compared to the prior-year period, according to the Audit Bureau of Circulations, which released its latest numbers on Monday.

The percentage is calculated from 635 daily papers that reported comparable multi-day averages.

The exception to the downward trend, once again, is The Wall Street Journal, the No. 1 paper in terms of circulation, which reported a 1.8% climb in weekday sales, to 2.06 million copies. The News Corp.-owned paper edged out longtime frontrunner USA Today a year ago.

The Journal's numbers benefit from its being the only large paper with a successful online subscription strategy. The total circulation number in the latest period was boosted by 449,139 electronic subscribers—up 10% over a year ago.

The Journal was also helped by a 9% increase, to 195,029 copies, in the “other paid” or bulk category, which includes circulation from third-party sales and newspapers in education programs.

Circulation revenue for the paper rose 7% during the period, according to a Monday announcement from parent Dow Jones & Co. The company also reported that in the first fiscal quarter of 2011, which ended Sept. 26, total print and online revenue rose 17%, compared to the year-ago period.

Every other New York area paper posted declines in both its weekday and Sunday circulation. For its Monday-through-Friday paper, The New York Times lost 5.5% of its circulation, dropping to 876,638 copies.

The Daily News fell 5.8% to 512,250 copies, holding onto a narrow lead over archrival New York Post, which dropped 1.3% to 501,501 copies. Newsday fared worst of all. It slid 11.8% to 314,848 copies.

In a statement, the Times—which cut its bulk copies by a couple thousand to 80,222—boasted that it was “reducing low yield bulk subscriptions” and trumpeted the loyalty of its readers.

“The Times has more than 820,000 subscribers that have been with the paper for more than two years, which means effectively we have them for life,” a spokesman said.

On Sunday, the most important day for newspaper advertising, the Times kept its frontrunner position with 1.4 million copies, a decline of 3.4%. The Daily News, in fifth place nationally on Sunday, fell 5.9% to 568,266 copies, while the New York Post fell 1.2% to 339,115.

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